You don’t want to mess with Mama’s collards, but this twist may be deemed acceptable
There are a couple of recipes I’ve written over the years that cause pure panic when a reader misplaces them. I get copious emails asking for help. I always laugh and send out a copy. One of those recipes is Mama’s Collard Greens with My Twist. This year was no exception.
Did you know that you live in the “collard belt”? Yep, for eastern North Carolinians, collards are the king of greens. So why, with so many of you believing Mama’s collards are so awesome, would I mess with the recipe? Insanity!
It’s simply because we are no longer a region of just folks born here, which I think is a good thing, and a blending of foodways can make for an interesting table.
This has come to my attention lately, thanks to Carol, my physical therapist, who is from Boston, by way of Chicago. Her husband and 14-year-old son are avid cooks. She talks to me about food when she is on the verge of inflicting pain. Her family tries to assimilate Southern foods on their table.
“Collards!” she exclaimed one day, “How do you eat them? We made some and they were so uneatable we threw them out!”
So, I went on to explain about cabbage collards, and “pot likkers,” those things that make collards great. I even gave her a copy of my book “Southern Sides.” Finally, I decided to make some collards for her family.
Collards can be bitter to some folk, especially to those who didn’t grow up eating, or hating them, as I did as a kid. So, let’s cut the bitterness without taking the Southern, eastern North Carolina out of the dish. Actually, it’s as simple as throwing some mustard and turnip greens into the mix.
Great collards start at the farmer’s market. There you will find cabbage collards, a slight heading variety, that’s a bit sweeter. Also, fresher and local mustard and turnips. You may find the step to chill the “pot likker” and stir the fat that rises to the top and congeals back into the greens odd, but it is essential to great collards.
“Hey Fred, can you ever make something vegan?” you ask. Yep. Check out the variation. Good eating.
While no collards will ever be as good as Mama’s, I think you will find these mighty tasty. And they’re perfect for New Year’s Day, when accompanied by black eyed peas, to bring in good luck and prosperity in the new year.
Oh yeah, those “frost bitten” signs you see at the farmer’s market, well some say that collards are better after a frost. It tastes true to me.
Have a great new year. Thanks for reading the columns, the emails, and stopping me in person to talk food
My New Twist on Mama’s Collard Greens
4 strips thick cut bacon, chopped
2 large onions, peeled and chopped
1 quart of unsalted chicken stock, more if needed
4 cloves of peeled garlic, smashed with the side of a knife
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 large meaty smoked ham hock
1 smoked turkey neck wrapped in cheesecloth and tied with kitchen twine
1 bunch, cabbage collards, cleaned in several rinses of water and stems removed, and roughly chopped
1 pound, mustard greens, cleaned and stemmed
1 pound, turnip greens, cleaned and stemmed
Kosher salt and freshly grounded black pepper to taste
Additional vinegar, and hot sauce if desired
Place a stockpot over low heat. Add the bacon and slowly cook to render the fat. When the bacon is crisp, remove and reserve.
Cook the onion in the bacon drippings until slightly colored, about 5 minutes, Pour in the liquid and the remaining ingredients except the collards. Increase your heat and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, then continue cooking for 20 minutes. This is the “pot likker.”
Add the collards, a handful at a time, stirring each addition until wilted. Believe it or not, they will all go in the pot. Cook over low heat for 2 hours or until tender.
Instant pot option: Make your “pot likker” as above. Add the greens, a hand full at a time, adding a ladle or two of the hot “likker,” stirring over each addition to wilt the greens so they all go in the pot. Place the hock and neck in the pot as well. Cook on high pressure for 25 minutes, then release the pressure naturally.
Whichever method you use, remove the hock and let cool. Drain the collards, reserving the liquid. Place the liquid in the refrigerator for a quick cool down.
Chopped the collards if desired. Taste for salt and pepper. Break apart the hock and neck, separating fat and meat. Finely dice the meat and stir into the collards. Remove the “pot likker” and skim the white stuff off the top and stir into the collards. Do not skip this step. Reserve the liquid for dipping cornbread or as a great soup base.
Transfer the collards to a bowl, and top with the crisp bacon. Serve with a bottle of vinegar and hot sauce for the table. Freeze any leftovers.
Yield: Serves 8-10
Vegan Collards
The process is the same except for the making of the “pot likker.”
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 chopped onion
1 container of diced onions, carrots and celery, found at many grocery stores
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 quart unsalted roasted vegetable stock
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Tamari
1 tablespoon vegetarian Worchester sauce
Kosher salt and pepper
Heat the oil until shimmering. Add the vegetables and sauté until soft. Add the garlic, red pepper and smoked paprika. Stir and cook until you smell the garlic. Add everything else, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, and cook, covered for 20 minutes. Proceed as above.
This story was originally published December 30, 2019 at 12:43 PM.